NSW skipper Isabelle Kelly has been cleared of a fractured larynx after she copped an elbow to the throat in Thursday night’s women’s State of Origin opener, but the focus has now turned to why play wasn’t stopped.
Kelly was struggling to breathe after she was hit in the throat by Queensland’s Julia Robinson, who put up her bumpers as she braced for contact in her side’s 18-10 win.
The Jillaroos centre was taken from the field by two trainers and was rushed to hospital, but play was inexplicably allowed to continue, with the Maroons scoring through Tazmin Gray while Kelly was in strife 60m away.
Kelly remains in hospital as a precaution as medical staff wait for swelling to subside.
Sky Blues rookie Jaime Chapman said the message was “to do it for Izzie” as she left the field, while teammate Jess Sergis was stunned that play was allowed to continue even though Robinson was eventually placed on report.
“I’m a little disappointed, actually,” Sergis said.
“‘Izzie’ got a forearm to the throat and is off to hospital, and then it’s football so we’ve got to keep going. But a few girls go down with cramps for Queensland and he (referee Adam Gee) stops the game. That was sh*t.
“But we had to adjust and I think that’s the beauty of our team that they can play in multiple positions.
“But if the game had been stopped when Izzie went down, Tazmin wouldn’t have scored. We could have got our line set, but that’s football. Queenslanders get a cramp and they stop the game.”
Queensland captain Ali Brigginshaw conceded play should have been stopped at what was a pivotal moment in the game, while NSW coach Kylie Hilder was furious that her side had to defend with 12 players following an act of foul play.
“It’s a big concern for me when we’ve got a player on the ground in discomfort and not in a great way and she was struggling to breathe,” Hilder said.
“I am very worried and concerned about her now.
“I still don’t know why there wasn’t a penalty for that when she was hit in the throat.”
Robinson showed great concern for her World Cup winning teammate, with the Maroons winger one of the best on field with a try in each half.
“I don’t plan to go out there to hurt people even though it’s a physical game. That’s not the whole point of the game. We don’t go out to hurt each other,” an apologetic Robinson said after the game.
“Rugby league is a physical game, but we don’t want to go out there to hurt each other.
“When Izzie went down, I made sure to check on her. It’s not nice to see a player go down like that. I love Izzie as a mate off the field too, and I respect her as a person on and off the field.
“I hope she’s OK and I’m going to send her a message to see if she’s all good. It’s not nice to see a player go down, especially a player like her.”
